“We see people present with peripheral nueropathies. Nerves don’t work very well on a lot of other things. A B-12 deficiency can be life threatening,” Dr. Jamie Koufman said.

In the California, study roughly one in eight patients with a B-12 deficiency had been given a two-year supply, or more, of proton pump inhibitors like Nexium, Prilosec, Prevacid, and Protonix.

Just less than one in twenty were given an H-2 acid bloker like Tagamet, Pepcide, Axid, and Zantac which are used to treat ulcers.

Researchers said that the findings should not deter doctors from giving patients the medicine that they need, but urged caution.

“If you’ve been on long-term PPIs and I mean two years or more, you probably need to get your B-12 checked,” Dr. Koufman said.

Wheeler has already started to wean off of her acid blockers.

“A lot of the symptoms have subsided so I don’t see myself staying on these very long,” she said.

Dr. Koufman added that self-medicating with over the counter acid blockers should only be done for a short period of time. The blockers ease the symptoms of acid reflux but do not actually stop the damage that acid can do to your throat and esophagus.